Assessments

How to Use Adversity to Make You Stronger

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“Want to take advantage of new opportunities this year, then, learn from 2020.” Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders, bosses, and businesses experienced difficult challenges, hardships, and misfortune during 2020. This includes closing companies, losing top talent, and facing financial hardships. And, many also dealt with health and family challenges.

It takes brave and committed leaders to use adversity as a launching pad to transform a situation, project, and/or relationship. Doing it the right way makes individuals, teams, and businesses stronger.

Working through adversity is never an easy process, especially when it’s forced on you. But the good news is, you can do it.

A year from now in 2022 when you look back to 2021, you will see how you turned adversity into a great opportunity. You’ll also experience how it made you, your team, and your business stronger.

Now, not tomorrow, is the time to do the right work and use 2020 adversity to make you stronger.

“Seeing situations from others’ points of view make it easier for people to feel heard by you.” Jeannette Seibly

6 Tips to Make You and Your Team Stronger

Get Real About What Happened. Everyone has experienced failure and unexpected adversity. There’s no shame in it. Breakdowns in projects and relationships can be due to things you did or didn’t do. Some catastrophes were beyond your control. (COVID) Regardless, it’s important that you stop and assess what truly happened and tell the truth. Putting frosting on mud pie and calling it a cake doesn’t change it from a mud pie!

TIP: Infuse objectivity into conversations by completing the year, project, and/or situation. Complete this exercise: What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? Then, ask, “What were the lessons learned?” This exercise must be done before you can move forward powerfully.

Develop Empathy. This can be difficult when you have little empathy for yourself and others. But it’s important during 2021 and beyond to develop emotional intelligence (EI). Seeing situations from others’ points of view make it easier for people to feel heard by you. It will also make it easier for them to listen to you!

TIP: To develop your empathy skills, talk with a qualified coach or therapist, and do the inner work required.

Develop Inner Confidence. Fake it until you make it is an old cliché where people imitated confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset. The problem is today, fake confidence can be easily spotted. Instead, develop true inner confidence which in turn creates success.

TIP: To develop your inner confidence, work on a project with your team. Hire the right coach to guide you and the team along the way to ensure success and keep everyone focused.

Be Responsible for What You Are Saying and Sharing. Today’s focus on transparency can backfire when relying on TMI (too much information). It can damage relationships and the ability of people to trust you! This includes what you share with customers and top talent.

TIP:

  • Keep a private journal and write down your thoughts and feelings. Not everything needs to be shared.
  • Develop mindful resilience by forgiving yourself and others. (This is an inner exercise for you only. Do not tell others, “I forgive you.” Why? Because doing so only creates more adversity.)
  • Work with your coach and craft conversation points to share with your team and customers.

Focus Forward. Stop rehashing what happened by completing your “What Worked? / What Didn’t Work?” exercise. Remember, emotionally strong leaders lead the way by focusing on what’s next, not in the past. Look for new opportunities inside adversity.

TIP: Work with a trained facilitator to guide you and your team through this inquiry. In the process, you will uncover new systems, products, and services for 2021.

Practice Thanks!  Everyone loves appreciation. Saying “please”, “thank you”, and “great work” is important. When done authentically, your teams grow and your customers feel valued.

TIP: Get your copy of “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition”. Learn how to brag in a business-savvy manner. Then, share with confidence the successes you, and your team and customers have had without sounding like a braggart!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Using Adversity to Make You Stronger from Jeannette. 2020 was a good year for some and a bad year for many. Stop lamenting about the awful things that happened. Instead, get unstuck and focus on moving forward. 2021 will be a great year if you learn from adversity and become stronger as a leader. Now is the best time to get started!

How to Be a Better Boss When Your Team Believes You’re a Bad One

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“Being a good boss is an inside job. It requires mindful resilience and emotional intelligence to succeed.” Jeannette Seibly

Being told you’re a bad boss isn’t fun. But it can be a gift. Remember, it took courage for your team member or team to tell you they hate your bad management style.

It’s 2021 and time to get busy. Use the feedback as a great opportunity to get real about how to manage your team members. It will improve your results and make you more coachable.

7 Important Tips to Become a Better Boss

Listen to Learn. This is key! Usually, bad bosses are poor listeners. They listen to defend, minimize their responsibility, and blame others. STOP! Don’t fall into that trap. You’re better than that. Remember, listening is a lifelong skill that you must develop each and every day.

Value Feedback. Complete a 360-degree feedback assessment. Then, review with each of your team members. Do this to learn about how they feel about working for you. This is NOT to find out who said what about you. This very important feedback can advance your career if you’re willing to listen and learn. Remember, your team members may feel hesitant to tell you what they really think. Give them permission to tell the truth and DON’T HOLD IT AGAINST THEM!

  • First, ask, “What’s the #1 thing I do that upsets you?” Listen to understand, not defend or out-talk them.
  • If you’ve offended them in the past, apologize.
  • Then ask, “How do you believe I should handle this type of situation differently in the future?” Listen to understand, not defend or out-talk them!
  • Thank them.
  • Now, talk it out with your coach about what to do next

Learn How to Delegate. Too often we give our favorite team members the best assignments. These may not be the ones with the best skills to get the job done. A good boss delegates to people’s strengths and gives them opportunities to expand their skills. Your focus as the boss is to manage the process and coach your people to grow and succeed while meeting customer deadlines and budgets. Note: If you’re a micromanager, stop it! Learn how to trust your team members to get the job done and focus on managing the results.

Developing your people is one of the key job responsibilities for any good boss, manager, and/or leader.

Develop Your People. This is one of the key job responsibilities for any good boss, manager, and/or leader. What are you doing today that is helping your team members excel? What do they need from you to help them achieve their personal and professional goals? What can you do to provide them the necessary resources to excel? Ask them … never assume you know the answer.

Stop Hiding Out. When things get tough, and they can at inconvenient times, be ready to get involved. This normally requires resolving conflict, project snafus, and/or customer upsets. Plan on rolling-up your sleeves and become your team members’ assistant. Focus on uncovering the issue and providing needed resources to resolve it, not assessing blame.

Set Expectations. One of my expectations as a boss was for employees to get along. And, they did. Whenever one person would come to me with an issue, I’d ask if they had talked it out with the person. Then, added, “If you need me to get involved, let me know. But I know the two of you can resolve this.” Normally they resolved it better than if I had gotten involved. One of the keys for this to work is being clear about your expectations. Keep them real and not pie-in-the-sky. Also, remember, if you expect your team members to get along, you need to get along with others too. 

Hire a Coach. If you haven’t done so already, hire the right coach immediately. Successful bosses have coaches. Have the coach include a qualified assessment as part of the process. This high-quality assessment uncovers your blind spots and provides insights to overcome them. Plan on talking with your coach weekly to ensure you’re moving forward. It’s easy to go off into the weeds when you attempt to use an approach you found on social media.

Remember, becoming a good boss is a process, not an event. Make 2021 the year you enjoy the journey.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Being a Good Boss from Jeannette. Becoming a good boss isn’t easy. Many companies make the very costly mistake of promoting their best team members into boss roles. Too often these are not the best career paths for these once successful employees. Work with the right coach to help you learn the skills necessary to manage people. If this isn’t the best job for you, move on once you can. But use the time to learn how to work with and through others to achieve win-win-win outcomes. It’s a priceless skill.

Are You Ready to Make 2021 Amazing?

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2021 is just around the corner … are you ready?

Are You Ready to Make 2021 Amazing?

Recently I enjoyed my end-of-year conversations with clients and business associates. From some, I heard about their off-the-charts year! They excelled!

Being curious, I asked why? At first, they focused on external factors. But with some guiding questions, they uncovered the inner beliefs they had transformed. They had stopped viewing themselves from a limiting perspective and stopped doing things that didn’t support their forward movement. Overall, they had their best year ever.

Here Are the 7 Key Points Shared

1. Self-Care. This was #1 on everyone’s list! Need I say more?

2. Gratitude. Each person was thankful for their inner growth and the results they achieved by staying focused on doing the right things.

3. Shifted Beliefs from “I Can’t” to “I Can.” This may sound like a simple mind shift. But it’s not always easy to do since it reflects a big internal change. At first, many were not present to this shift. They attributed their success to external factors (e.g., presentation style, being in the right place at the right time, openness to learning, etc.). The truth is, success is an inside job. They had transformed the little voice in their heads from “I don’t know if or how I can do it” to “I can do it and I did it!”

4. Held a Strong Inner Conviction When Challenges Appeared. When each person shifted to I can, their brains automatically focused on the “how to get it done.” They didn’t concentrate on the obstacles. Most got in communication with the right people that could help them succeed, including their coach. They didn’t entertain, “it’s too much work,” “I don’t have the money,” or “my boss wouldn’t approve.” They just stayed in focused action.

 “Want to achieve an amazing year? Hire a coach to stop you from believing in your limitations.” Jeannette Seibly

5. Developed a Mindful Resilience. When failures or major mistakes occurred (and they did), they didn’t sugar coat them or hoped they would magically go away. They knew hope was not a strategy. Instead, they did the work to complete any problems with integrity.

6. Aligned Their Goals with Their Values. Several had to get real about “how” to conduct their business due to the pandemic. For example, one inquired into what she needed to change to be happy. She found a program that pulled her out of her comfort zone and enrolled as a student. Naturally, as she transformed, so did her clients. 2020 was her best year ever!

7. Got Real About Job Fit. When your work responsibilities align with who you naturally are, amazing results can happen. As an executive coach for the past 28 years, I love getting people unstuck and in action for real results. I use the PXTS assessment as the first step in the 90-minute process with my clients. Afterward, most are ready to pursue their dreams and goals with clarity. For example, I recently worked with a super salesperson who was suffering burnout. Why? He believed he had to be a sales manager to grow his sales team! His sales suffered and turnover was high! The PXTS results showed his strengths were in selling, not in managing people! He immediately felt a big-huge-tremendous sense of relief. My coaching to him: Go sell! Stop trying to be someone you are not. When you’re ready, we’ll talk through how to build a sales team that excels.

 Where are you stuck? What do you need to move forward and have 2021 be amazing? Contact me for a free confidential conversation. You, your career, and your business goals will thank you!

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a free confidential conversation.

A Note About Achieving Success in 2021 from Jeannette. Getting out of your own way can be a challenge. We’ve been conditioned to do things a certain way and view ourselves from a limiting perspective. Make 2021 your year to let go and achieve amazing career and business successes.

Don’t forget to hire a coach to accelerate your growth and keep you focused on the right things for an amazing 2021!

How to Raise Your Visibility and Get Positively Noticed

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Business-savvy bragging builds natural confidence and attracts new opportunities.

Everyone would like to believe that working hard and getting assignments done on time will get them positively noticed.

But the truth is, it doesn’t!

Bosses think, “Of course s/he gets things done on time…it’s what I pay her/him to do.”

If you want to be considered a high-performer and/or leader, you need to step up your visibility in a positive way.

6 Keys to Get Positively Noticed!

1. Learn How to Brag! Bragging or self-promotion in a business-savvy manner makes a big difference. Saying you’re great, wonderful, and fabulous only has your boss (and others) stop listening to you! And, seen as a braggart! Instead, get the book, “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition” and raise your natural confidence and ability to brag to become positively noticed?

2. Talk with Your Boss. Whether you like your boss or not, s/he is the key to getting positive attention. Have a weekly 1:1 meeting, come with a written agenda, ask questions, and listen. When you’re discussing what’s working and what’s not working, make sure you don’t blame or complain. Instead, this is the time to listen, learn, and offer solutions.

 Questions to Create a Dialogue (remember…listen more than talk!)

  • What is your opinion about …?
  • Can you help me understand …?
  • What do you recommend …?

3. Be a Solutions Provider. Come prepared. Read agendas and minutes from previous meetings before scheduled meetings. This allows you to listen and hear new ideas offered by others. This simple preparation will help you develop the ability to create win-win-win outcomes. And, help build a positive reputation.

 Questions to Uncover Issues/Concerns (remember…. listen more than talk!)

  • “What is your #1 concern right now?”
  • “Tell me more about it.”
  • “Why is this important?”
  • “What solutions do you recommend?”
  • “How can I help you achieve this goal?
BizSavvyBrag.com

4. Create Positive Relationships. Integrity, communication, and speaking well of others are important when creating good relationships. This will also enhance a positive visibility. And, while you may not agree with someone or frustrated by their actions, take the higher road. Make sure to get both sides of the story without passing judgment. Plus…don’t burn bridges.

5. Hire a Coach. When you move up the company ladder, old habits can become bad habits. And worse, you may not even be unaware of them! (aka blind spots) Hire the right coach to uncover the bad habits and build the good habits, skills, and mindsets needed for positive visibility.

6. Build a Results-Oriented Team. “Only 10% of teams achieve intended results!” (Prichard) Bragging about your team and your results will have you gain high visibility.

Here are 3 ways to do it:

Remember, hard work alone isn’t enough to get positively noticed and valued. Use these 6 keys to raise your visibility and get positively noticed.

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Getting Positively Noticed from Jeannette. Again, as mentioned in this article, grab the book, “It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition”, hire a coach, and follow the above-referenced tips. These will get you the positive visibility needed to be promoted, improve job satisfaction, and make more money!

Feedback Is the Gift of Sharing Your Experiences

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“Many leaders hesitate and avoid giving needed feedback out of fear of retaliation.” Jeannette Seibly

Why do many of us hate giving or receiving feedback?

Because feedback triggers our brains for flight, fright, or freeze. When our boss (or someone else) provides feedback, our point of view about ourselves typically feels threatened. And, too often, feedback has people avoid one another out of fear that their self-perceptions are wrong. Yes, it’s unwarranted. But it happens way too often.

Why feedback is important:

  • It allows us to grow as successful leaders
  • Our projects to go from so-so to having stellar results
  • We broaden our perspectives about working with different people, including “difficult team members”

As a leader, be open to sharing experiences that only feedback can provide you. This mindset sets the tone for your team members to do the same. Remember, feedback requires tact and diplomacy. Otherwise, you will escalate conflict or create hurt feelings.

“Giving and receiving the gift of feedback creates stronger leaders.” Jeannette Seibly

6 Tips to Develop the Gift of Giving and Receiving Feedback

Be Open to Receiving. People will provide feedback, regardless of whether you ask for it or want it. Strong leaders listen, regardless of their feelings about it. If you don’t, you may miss some important information. Ask questions for clarification without sounding defensive. Then, review the feedback with your coach before making any changes.

Use a Qualified Job Fit Assessment. This type of assessment addresses your thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests when you embrace this feedback. You will gain job insights into how to effectively work with others, while appreciating their differences. Objectivity helps you accept the things you cannot change, while improving your effectiveness.

Value 360-degree feedback assessments. Use these quarterly, annually, and/or after major projects. These tools are great gifts for feedback when developing leadership strengths. The problem is many companies create their own 360-degree surveys. Because these tools lack objectivity and confidentiality, they fail to offer valid feedback that makes a positive difference. Make sure to select the right tool that has the validation and reliability for providing laser-like feedback.

Ask for Feedback. After a project or meeting, ask for feedback from several key employees. Start by asking “What worked? and “What didn’t work?” Listen. Take notes. Then, review with your coach before attempting to put any changes in place.

Develop a Straight Talk Approach. When offering feedback, talk straight. If you filter too much, you camouflage the true issue.

For example: A VP-HR provided feedback to the VP-Finance about gossiping. During the next coaching call, his coach could tell the VP-Finance didn’t understand what the VP-HR had said. The VP-HR had sugar-coated it. Straight talk is important when behavioral changes must happen…no matter how hard it might feel.

Learn Different Feedback Methods. The same approach doesn’t work for everyone!

2 different approaches to get you started:

  1. Direct approach works for people who want to know the truth. Be clear about the facts and share them, after getting their permission to do so.

For example: “Josie, are you open to feedback from your presentation this morning?” She nods yes. “Super. There was too much information on your slides and you read it to us. It’s important to engage the audience, not lecture them, when we need to learn about these new safety procedures.”

  1. Sandwich approach is for less tough-minded people. Share 2 positives, 2 specific areas that need improvement, and wrap-up with 2 positives.

For example: “Joe, you’re a valued member of our team and we appreciate your involvement.” (2 positives)

“However, we need you to read the minutes before each meeting and put away your phone during the meeting. It’s very distracting when you’re not fully engaged in the conversation. Remember, multitasking is a myth.” (2 specific areas for improvement)

“Again, we appreciate your commitment to the company and achieving our goals.” (2 positives)

These 6 tips will provide you the opportunity to share your experiences while giving and receiving the gift of feedback.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. She is an expert in guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Using Assessments from Jeannette. Scientifically validated and reliable assessments are the key to a great 2021.

They can help you:

  • Meet company and employee needs
  • Improve your hiring, coaching, training, and managing processes
  • Sleep better at night

Contact me now for a confidential conversation.

Do You Want Your Success Now? Hire the Right Coach Now!

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“The right practice with the right coach builds the right muscles to accelerate your success!” Jeannette Seibly

Today, more than ever, it’s important that you take the accelerated approach for success. Why? Because too many times we rely on the more common struggle and do-it-yourself approaches. These are too exhausting and don’t build success!  Even worse, we typically quit and makeup excuses for our lack of success.

“Success is easy when it’s guaranteed…however, success is NEVER guaranteed. To beat the odds and accelerate your success, hire the coach that’s right for you.” Jeannette Seibly

Hiring a coach provides faster results and builds a stronger foundation for success today and in the future. This foundation allows you expand and gain confidence, while innovating and having fun!

5 Crucial Tips to Succeed Faster Working with a Coach

Use Job Fit Assessments. This is where you start. Over 70% of leaders are in jobs that don’t fit them! (Gallup) Attempting to work in positions that do not fit your thinking style, core behavior, and interests will sabotage your energy and self-esteem and thwarts your success. Use a job fit assessment tool to clarify your skills and strengths.

For example: A top-level saleswoman was a strong closer. She was able to open new markets and shorten the sales cycle with new prospective customers. Yet, her boss wanted her to focus on improving her patience and diplomacy. He reassigned her to work larger projects with much longer sales cycles. She was unhappy. She hired a coach to discover why she was failing in her new job after so much success. With this knowledge and clarity, she found a new job with a competitor utilizing her talents.

“Remember, you cannot change who you are, but you can become more effective. And, with effectiveness comes success!” Jeannette Seibly

Focus on Your Strengths. Focusing on your weaknesses is a colossal waste of time. Instead, hire a coach to help you develop your strengths. This approach minimizes your weaknesses while improving your effectiveness.

For example: A customer service manager was having a difficult time learning a new system that did not have a procedures manual. Her boss advised her to focus on her strengths for creating practical systems. She attended training workshops, took notes and created a procedures manual. Now, she’s the go-to person for training others. She loves her job and her success. Plus, she’s able to showcase her strengths with confidence.

Hire Yourself the Right Coach. Don’t wait for your company to do it for you! Take charge of ensuring you have the right coach for you. Be clear what you are seeking (e.g., resolution of work issues, project management challenges, team building conflicts, etc.). Remember, the job of your coach is to uncover your blind spots. Then, work with you to improve your decision-making and communication skills for success.  

Establish Project Goals and Focused Action Plans. Too often we want to use a coach to improve a specific skill or bad habit. A better alternative, and one that has a longer lasting impact, is to work on a project with your coach’s oversight. This way the areas for improvement will show up and your coach will be there to guide your progress through them.  

Develop Good Relationships. One area that is often overlooked when working with a coach is to improve your relationship skills. Yes, they matter and you can impact these in a positive way with guidance. Remember, it’s important not to burn bridges, regardless of what the person said or did. Learn how to forgive and develop mindful resilience. Trying to improve this without guidance doesn’t work.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. Her expertise is guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Creating a Prosperous 2021 from Jeannette. Hiring a coach can make a positive difference for your results today and tomorrow. As you know, 2021 is quickly approaching and what you do during Q4 will impact what you can do in Q1-2021. Now is the best time to uncover what you need to enjoy for a prosperous 2021. I encourage me to contact me for a confidential conversation. We will review your results for 2020 and create 3 goals for your 2021. Yes, this is FREE and has made a powerful difference for many clients.

PS: What’s stopping you from valuing you and your success?

How to Change BAD Habits that Impact Your Success

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“You are in control of your habits.” Jeannette Seibly

As a leader, are you questioning why your teams are not excited to work with or for you? The answer is, you’ve allowed “your bad habits” to get in the way.

Your bad habits will diminish the value of your words, the quality of your results, and the ability to attract and keep top talent.

4 Bad Habits that Must Change NOW

Poor Listening Skills. If you’ve been following my posts, you know that I mention the value of listening often. The reason? Listening is the foundation of any leader’s success. Checking emails during meetings, insisting on being right, and/or multitasking will derail your leadership. It shows that listening to your team is not important.

First, put away electronic distractions. Then, focus on what the person is saying and allow him/her to talk without interruption. When you listen, you make better decisions and hear important information.

Fear-Based Comments. Threatening others when the job is not getting done as you envisioned it, is a bad habit for any leader. It never builds loyalty or produces intended results. If someone is not achieving the intended outcome, take time to review your communication style and expectations.

Then, conduct an objective review of what is working and what is not working with the team or team member. Listen to their concerns and address them. Together, create a focused action plan. Now you’re ready to coach them one step forward at a time. Don’t forgot to acknowledge their efforts and brag about their accomplishments!

“Your habits as a leader speak louder than your words.” Jeannette Seibly

Being a Control Fanatic. A leader who must be in control at all costs tears down trust. When you believe you know it all and micromanage your team, mutiny will occur.

Instead, trust the process. Yes, life and projects are processes…not events! There is never a straight line toward achieving your goals. Mistakes happen. Your ability to handle these issues impact the quality of results and outcomes.

Being a Proud DIYer!  Many leaders, even today, are not coachable. They want to do everything themselves. But consider the do-it-yourself approach will get in the way of team success every time. When proud DIYers fail to hire a coach and listen to ideas that are not their own, they will often fail!

Instead, hire an executive coach. Brainstorm ideas, ask the hard questions, and listen to what you don’t want to hear. (Yes, please read that again.) Remember to listen, learn, and be coachable. These 3 skills will help you develop the confidence required to lead your team.

Once you do the work to change these 4 bad habits, you’ll see the dynamic results you’ve always wanted.

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. Her expertise is guiding leaders and their teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

A Note About Change from Jeannette

Change is happening whether you’re ready or not. Change can be daunting when you’re not prepared. It leads to frustration and turnover. Now is the time to get ahead of this curve for 2021 when hiring, coaching, managing, and training your employees, managers, and leaders. Contact me for a confidential conversation. We can talk about ideas to get you moving ahead with ease and confidence.

Do you Know How to Influence Change with Others?

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Leaders Influencing Change
“Now more than ever, influencing change is a skill all leaders must learn.” Jeannette Seibly

Never underestimate the power of being a rebel. While rebelling can be effective, the results are often short-lived.

Instead, learn the key factors that influence positive change. You’ll become part of the solution, and not part of the problem. The results will be long-lasting and support your career aspirations.

5 Key Tips to Influence Change

Get the Facts. Overreacting to an issue will only make the issue bigger than it needs to be. Get the actual facts, not the facts you’ve made up to justify your reaction.

An example: A business owner felt offended by a comment a trusted employee made. Instead of asking for clarification, he ruminated about it. Then, a few days later when the employee asked for help, the business owner commented, “Why would I need to help you? You seem to have all the answers.” A few weeks later the employee rebelled by leaving to take another job.

Use Your Words to Inspire. Talk Straight. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Influencing others requires diplomacy, tact, and respect. Choose your words in a way that gets others’ positive attention and interest. Don’t use offensive words or humor since they will usually back-fire. Remember, others will interpret your words through their own filters. So, consider the make-up of your audience when crafting your messages!

Listen to others points of view
“If you want people to listen to your ideas, you must listen to their ideas too.” Jeannette Seibly

Be Open to Hearing Opposing Points-of-View. Dismissing someone’s opposing view will only make them defensive and unwilling to budge from their position. Be fearless when asking good questions to learn more about their perspective. Remember, they can have valid opinions too. A good way to build agreement is to repeat back what you heard the other person say (to his/her satisfaction) before responding to his/her remarks.

For example: Telling someone you won’t listen to their ideas will create a rebellion, covertly or overtly. A sales manager learned this the hard way when a sales rep suggested a new way of communicating with customers, current and future. The sales manager refused to listen, thinking it was a bad time to make any changes. A covert rebellion ensued. The sales rep left taking several other top sales reps with her. The company’s #1 competitor happily welcomed them and their ideas!

Be a Parrot. Plan on repeating yourself  over a period of time. Influencing change takes time. Often, leaders are blind to what is possible. They fear change and any loss of control…so they will resist new ideas. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge others’ positions with respect and help them determine what is in it for them.

Provide Your Plan in Writing. Yes, write it all down. Then, build your influence by getting others’ buy-in before fine-tuning. When making any change to the plan, don’t change the heart and soul of the idea. Present the plan, along with a budget and timeline. Remember, you’re looking to build alignment, not consensus.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. Her expertise is guiding leaders and teams to get unstuck and achieve dynamic results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Note from Jeannette Seibly: I love coaching leaders and their teams to create win-win-win strategies and dynamic results, and have been doing so for the past 28 years. During this challenging time, if you need to talk and bounce ideas off of me, please contact me. In your email, please provide your name, phone number, the general issue, along with several times to talk.  JLSeibly@SeibCo.com

How to Get Comfortable Seeking the Right Advice

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It can be lonely as a leader. When there is a challenge or the need to ask for advice, you may be unclear about who to talk with and who can provide you the right advice.

Here’s a simplified example. I’m sure many of you have read through social media postings where people are asking for advice or referrals. You may have posted your own “asks.” The problem is you receive an abundance of advice and go into overwhelm. Then, become stuck and don’t know how to proceed.

Sound familiar? Of course, most of us have experienced this in all areas of our lives. It can be very uncomfortable.

8 Tips for Getting the Right Advice Now

  • Be Open. Stay away from “yes” people telling you what you want to hear! Remember, too many ideas will have you undecided on what to do next. Instead, limit your “ask” to three key people: mentors, coach, and/or trusted advisors. If they provide recommendations for experts, limit these to three people.
  • Get Specific. Be clear about the advice you need by being specific about the issue and what you need to happen. For example: If you need to resolve a team dispute, include the key factors that must be considered, like team member satisfaction, team communication, and customer deadlines. 
  • Use the Rule of Three. Whenever you are making a big purchase or getting help with a problem, seek out only three proposals or bids. Provide the vendor/consultant with the specific goal and intended outcomes. Then, review these opportunities using your checklist to make your decision.
  • Seek out trusted advisors and mentors. Keep your network up-to-date. As a leader, you never know who you will need to talk with until after the issue has occurred or is about to happen. Remember, when they recommend an expert ask “why” this person would be a great source of information.
  • Deep dive and ask the right expert for factual information. Too often, we listen to what we want to believe, instead of what is factual. For example, there are over 3,000 publishers of assessments tools on the market today for pre-employment use. However, very few assessments meet the DOL Standards for Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices. Check out PXT Select for your hiring, coaching, training, and managing needs.
  • Hire the right coach. Yes, this can be difficult if you’re not clear what you want or need. Remember, successful leaders have executive coaches. Your coach should be the first person to talk with before seeking out other advice. It’s also the most comfortable place to start.
  • Ask the right people. If you have a legal question, ask the right attorney. If you have a people management issue, ask a people management consultant. Don’t ask lots of people who have no actual hands-on experience or success on resolving the issue. Ask the people who know.
  • Listen! This will be especially difficult when someone’s point of view doesn’t match your own or triggers an emotional response (e.g., cost, process, looking good, etc.). Put aside your filter and listen…you will learn and receive new advice that can make a big difference!

You’re not the first leader, nor the last one, to have the same or similar challenges. It’s really about learning who the right advisors are, receiving the right advice, rather than receiving an abundance of opinions. Be vulnerable and professional when sharing information about you and your company will become comfortable over time. Remember to honor confidentiality, while being respectful of their time.

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for 28 years. Her expertise is guiding leaders to get unstuck and achieve unprecedented results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Don’t forget to listen to On the Air with Jeannette Seibly: It’s Your Time for Success on Anchor.FM or YouTube.com.

Want to keep your customers? My clients have used this process to keep their customers and attract new ones!  https://seibco.com/keep-customers-from-leaving-workbook/

Are you feeling discouraged? Disempowered? Unsure how to get things done? Get re-inspired. FREE: 5 Tips to Improve Your Productivity Right Now

 

How You Can Help Your Team Be Their Best

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As a leader, it’s your responsibility to guide your teams and team members to be their best. This includes taking responsibility for their failures as well as their successes.

6 Tips to Develop the Best

  1. Believe in Them. This is #1. If you don’t believe in people, you won’t be the best leader and will fail to develop the best team members. It’s important to believe in each and every person and help them develop their strengths. Use a qualified assessment to coach them and develop the right skills for their success. The right assessment will guide all of you on how to do it.
  2. Hire Right the First Time. The right people in the right jobs is the least costly and the most beneficial to the health of the team. Design and develop a strategic hiring/selection plan and follow it!. Pay attention to the results of the qualified assessments you use. Your team members will thank you!
  3. Create a 180-Day Success Plan. This should be part of the on-boarding process. Also, conduct effective performance reviews quarterly with no surprises. Focus on the skills and opportunities needed for each team member to be their best.
  4. Keep an Open-Door. It’s important to hear about issues as they are occurring instead of after the fact. This allow you to advise and guide your teams and team members to resolve conflicts, stay in action, and develop confidence.
  5. Provide an Executive Coach. This is for you and for your team members. Studies have shown that the right coach develops you and your team members to achieve unprecedented results.
  6. Encourage Training and Development. Budget for team training plus allow a specific dollar amount for each employee to use as appropriate. In addition to developing technical, financial, and project management skills, don’t forget to include integrity, accountability, responsibility, decision-making, and critical thinking ALL of these skills will develop a competent and confident team!

©Jeannette Seibly, 2020

Jeannette Seibly is The Leadership Results Coach. She has been an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker for more than 27 years. Her expertise is guiding leaders to get unstuck and achieve unprecedented results. Contact Jeannette for a confidential conversation.

Don’t forget to listen to On the Air with Jeannette Seibly: It’s Your Time for Success on Anchor.FM or YouTube.com.

Are you confused about how to win the job, promotion, or pay increase? Learn how to do it in 5 easy steps:  http://CareerBragging.com

Want to keep your customers? This process has been used by several clients to keep their customers from straying!  https://seibco.com/keep-customers-from-leaving-workbook/